Coffee, Crumb Cake and Confessions
by secamimom
Summary: Edward watches her daily from afar, never having the nerve to speak to her. What will happen when she decides to make a move? OS Soundtrack entry, ExB


**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: This was my entry for the One-Shot Soundtrack Contest Volume II. Sadly, I didn't win, but I had a lot of fun writing this one. Thanks to Juliegirl18 for beta'ing this and all my 'stuff' for me.  
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Holding tightly to my brown leather messenger bag, I walked down the busy street, headed toward the corner cafe. The brightly colored fall leaves whipped around as the wind blew slightly, forcing me to tighten my jacket around me. Although summer had just ended the week before, the air already had a bit of chill to it this early in the morning.

I pushed the door to the cafe open and stepped inside, already feeling the warmth it provided from the harsh fall winds. Stepping up to the counter, I ordered my usual cappuccino and slice of crumb cake. I took a seat on the small, burnt orange couch and pulled out my laptop and iPod, setting up my "work" area. I called it my work area although I knew that no work would be done this morning. Hardly any work at all was done during the few hours I sat here almost daily.

Every day for the past six weeks I had come to this corner cafe for one thing and one thing only - to watch _her_. She was already here when I arrived today, like usual, sitting at one of the tables in the back corner. She had a book in her hands and seemed to be completely enthralled in it. She would occasionally place her bookmark in the book and sip her coffee, but would instantly pick the book back up and dive in again.

I learned a couple of weeks ago while eavesdropping on one of her phone conversations that her name was Bella. The name definitely fit the image. She had the most beautiful, heart shaped face and pink, full lips that I could just imagine kissing. Her dark brown hair hung past her shoulders in soft waves and the one time we had made eye contact I saw that she had the most expressive brown eyes I had ever seen, even if I had only seen them for a split second.

It had been six weeks and I had yet to speak one word to her. Every time I would try to get up and talk to her, I would chicken out. I had never been one to strike up a conversation with anyone, definitely not with a beautiful girl like Bella.

Completely frustrated with my lack of balls once again, I grabbed my iPod and stuck the earbuds in. I leaned my head back on the couch and closed my eyes, hoping that the classical playlist I had selected would help to calm my nerves.

A few minutes later, I felt a light tapping on my leg. Pulling my earbuds out, I opened my eyes and was shocked. Bella stood in front of me, holding a coffee cup and two slices of crumb cake.

"Hi. My name's Bella. Um... I was just... I noticed..." she spoke nervously. I smiled at her shyly hoping she would continue, because I knew damn well I was speechless. She took a deep breath and smiled at me before continuing.

"I just noticed that you always order this crumb cake when you come in. I saw that they put a fresh batch out and figured I'd grab you a piece." To be completely honest, I don't think I heard anything past the fact that she noticed me. For six weeks now I had been coming into this cafe, watching her and thinking that she had no clue I existed, when all along she had noticed me too.

I refocused my attention on Bella, who was now holding her hand out, offering me a slice of the cake. I took it from her and said a quiet 'thanks', admiring the blush I had noticed now that she was so close to me. Bella stood awkwardly for a moment while I contemplated what to say next. Before my mouth could say anything, she uttered the words that I had been dying to say for weeks now.

"So, is this seat taken?"

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We walked hand in hand through the park, snow flakes falling all around us. Bella let go of my hand and bent over, gathering some of the freshly fallen snow in her gloved hands. I shook my head at her, backing up slowly. A large smile spread across her face as she formed the snow into a tight ball.

"Isabella Marie..." I said to her as I continued to back away from her. She continued stepping closer to me, her face shining with mischief.

"Edward Anthony..." she said mockingly before she threw the snowball at me. I was able to turn quickly enough so that it hit me in the shoulder rather than straight in the face where it seemed she was aiming. I brushed the snow off as she giggled and took off running. I was able to catch up to her in no time and pulled her into my arms.

"I love you," I told her as I stared into her brightly shining eyes.

"I love you too," she whispered before leaning in and kissing me sweetly. Once we pulled apart, I took her hand in mine and continued our walk to the cafe on the corner. We continued to go there, although now not as often. We had discovered that both of us only frequented the cafe in hopes of seeing the other and gaining enough courage to actually speak.

"So, my mom and dad are really excited to meet you at Christmas," I said as we walked past a group of children building a snowman. She squeezed my hand slightly and smiled at me.

"Good. I can't wait to meet them too. Hopefully it goes as well as Thanksgiving did with my parents," she said, laughing. I had been a nervous wreck before we flew out to Phoenix to have Thanksgiving with her mother and step-father. She had assured me that everything would be alright and that they would love me as much as she did, but that didn't help my nerves at all at the time. It turned out wonderfully and I was as sure as she was then that my parents would love her the same way.

"I'm sure it will, sweetheart," I told her honestly, leaning over and kissing her on the temple.

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"Those boxes can be put in the spare bedroom," Bella told Emmett when he walked in the door. My brother offered to help us move Bella's things into my apartment when he found out she was moving in. He knew I had only a small sedan and he had a friend with a truck that would easily hold most of her things in one trip.

Bella stood in front of the rotating fan lifting her t-shirt to let some of the air cool the dampened skin of her stomach. Although we had just entered spring, a surprising heat wave was upon New York and of course we had picked one of the hottest days to move her into my apartment.

I walked up behind her, running my hands along the expanse of her bare stomach and kissing her exposed neck. She hummed in response as I rocked her back and forth, following the fan's direction.

"That feels good," she sighed as I continued to pepper kisses up and down her neck.

"What does? Is it the air or the kisses?" I asked her. She sighed and twisted her neck, offering it to me again.

"Hmmm, both. Definitely both," she whispered. "Aren't you supposed to be helping your brother? I mean, I am _your _girlfriend, but it seems that he is the one doing all the heavy lifting."

"That's because I have much better things to do," I groaned out before running my tongue along the outer edge of her ear.

"Alright you two, that's enough," Emmett said laughing. "Edward, help me get these last few boxes and I'll get out of your hair so you can continue with that." My brother walked over, grabbing my arm and pulling me away, but not before one more kiss.

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We walked hand in hand down the beach, the bright summer sun shining down on our already tanned skin. Bella and I had spent the majority of our week at the summer house in the bedroom, but the times we were outside, I was shirtless and she was in nothing but a bikini. We had both developed a nice golden tan that we would take back with us to the city.

"I am going to hate leaving here tomorrow," Bella said wistfully. I knew Bella would fall in love with this place as soon as I saw the pictures of it. A friend of mine from work had brought his girlfriend here last summer and they had both fallen in love with the place as well.

"Me too, baby." I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her temple. After a few minutes we finally arrived back at the beach house and decided to relax on the patio before going out for dinner.

"You know what?" Bella asked me, shifting herself in the chair to face me. I brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her gently.

"What's that?" She smiled widely at me then turned back around, her back against my chest and wrapped my arms around her.

"This would be an awesome place for a honeymoon," she said quietly. I smiled widely, although she couldn't see me. I had been thinking of marriage myself, but had yet to discuss anything with Bella. To know that she was thinking the same thing I was made me the happiest guy on Earth.

"That it would, baby. That it would."

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Bella and I walked into the cafe hand in hand. Things had definitely changed in the past year. Last year, I walked in on my own, wishing I could get the courage to even speak to her. Today, she was walking with me, laughing with me, going home with me. Hopefully, things were about to change a little more.

I walked with Bella to the front counter, and after placing our order of coffee and crumb cake, ushered her toward our sitting area in the back. I had requested that the manager, who had become a friend to me and Bella over the past year, hang the banner directly above the couch. When Bella saw the banner she stopped dead in her tracks and I dropped down to one knee. She turned around slowly and both of our eyes were already filled with tears.

"Bella Swan, I have a confession to make. For weeks I came into this cafe for the sole purpose of seeing you. I would sit daily and dream of ways to get your attention, never actually acting on those daydreams. While I didn't have the guts to walk up to you and start a conversation, I thank God you did. The day you decided to take a leap of faith and talk to the quiet nerd on the couch is the day you changed my life. Today, Bella, I am asking you to change both our lives again and take another leap of faith. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

Bella looked down at me, tears running down her cheeks and nodded her head over and over. I smiled widely, stood and placed the ring on her finger. Bella leaped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and kissed me passionately. The other patrons of the cafe stood around us, clapping, cheering and whistling, but all I cared about was the fact that the girl of my dreams just agreed to be my wife.

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I stood at the altar, nervously fiddling with my cuff links. The church was filled with all of our family and friends. I had tried to talk Bella into flying to Vegas and having a quickie wedding, but she would hear nothing of it. She said she wouldn't spend our entire married life trying to make it up to my mother and sister. I had at least gotten her to agree to a winter wedding. She, along with both our mothers and my sister, had planned an entire wedding in a little over two months.

"Man, calm down. She's not gonna bail on you," Emmett clapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear. I turned around and narrowed my eyes at him. He knew that was my biggest fear, that Bella would find out how much better she could do and leave me at the altar. I knew deep down that she wasn't that type of person, but you could blame my low self esteem throughout high school for those thoughts.

Suddenly, the back doors of the sanctuary opened and Rose, my brother's girlfriend, walked in. Over the past year, she and Bella had become close. Bella had asked her to be her only bridesmaid and she quickly agreed.

Once Rose was in place at the altar, my sister Alice made her way down the aisle. She got right in front of me and winked before taking her place by Rose. Alice had taken to Bella immediately, calling her the sister she never had. Bella felt the same about her which is what prompted her to ask Alice to be her Maid of Honor.

The entire room stood and shuffled around to face the door where the love of my life stood. Bella and I had locked eyes immediately, everyone else in the room drifting away.

She was ushered down the aisle by her father, a man who thankfully had grown to like me. When we first met, he had threatened to shoot me if I hurt his daughter. Lucky for me, I planned to never hurt her.

Bella and I stood hand in hand at the altar in front of our family and friends, and recited the vows that would forever bind us together. We stood and hugged each family member as they congratulated us and offered marriage advice. We smiled for the photographer as he snapped hundreds of photos to document the day. Finally, I was able to get my bride alone as they called for the first dance.

The opening chords of what had become our song began to play as I escorted Bella to the dance floor. I pulled her body close to me as we swayed to the music, ignoring the others around us watching.

"You're beautiful," I told her as I brushed a stray hair away from her face. She smiled shyly at me as we continued dancing.

"You know, you're gonna wear those words out," she said, laughing.

"That could never happen. I love you, Mrs. Cullen," I whispered in her ear. She sighed and hugged me tightly.

"I love you too, Mr. Cullen," she whispered before kissing me passionately, not caring about the eyes of our guests watching.

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"Edward, you ready to head out?" I felt someone nudge my leg and I sit up. I opened my eyes, blinking them to adjust to the harsh lights above me. My sister Alice and her boyfriend Jasper stood in front of me... in the cafe. I lean around them and spot Bella, at the table in the far corner of the room, reading the same book as before. I turn to look outside, praying that I was wrong. The ground was covered in orange and brown leaves, not like the snow that covered the ground on the morning of our wedding.

"It was a dream. It was all a damn dream," I muttered as I ran my hand through my hair harshly. Sensing something was wrong, my sister sat down beside me and placed her hand on my arm.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ignoring her question I look up at Bella. She is just as beautiful in her jeans and turtleneck as she was in her wedding gown. Alice noticed I wasn't paying attention to her and followed my eyes to where Bella sat.

"Do you know her?" Jasper asked me and I couldn't help but laugh at his question. Remembering how it felt to make love to Bella on what seemed like just the night before would definitely be considered 'knowing' someone.

"You could say that," I told him. I shook my head and began to pack my things up so I could leave with my sister and Jasper. Yet another day of failing to speak to her and adding the fact that the dream had seemed so real, had me in no mood to be social.

"You're gonna marry that girl one day, Edward. Trust me," Alice said, tapping her temple. I rolled my eyes at her as I continued to pack my belongings.

"Yeah, if I could ever get the nerve to say 'Hello' in this cafe," I muttered. Alice walked to the counter and I figured she was ordering her and Jasper a coffee. I was surprised when she came back with two slices of crumb cake. She held them out to me and smiled, knowingly. Accepting the cake, I thought about my options.

I could walk over to Bella, offer her the other slice of cake and make my dream come true, or I could be a chicken shit, toss the cake in the trash and spend yet another night regretting not having the guts to talk to her.

My sister patted me on the back as she and Jasper walked out of the cafe hand in hand. I squared my shoulders, took a deep breath, and made my way over to the table where Bella always sat.

Standing beside her, I cleared my throat slightly. She looked up at me and smiled shyly before placing her bookmark in the book and closing it. I offered her the second slice of crumb cake, which she gladly accepted, before speaking the words that could change my life forever.

"So, is this seat taken?"


End file.
